Chapter 25

The silence grew loud while Uriel tried to come to grips with the emotions that besieged him. He was crushed that the fierce passion he and Eyrmysse had shared had been cast aside so coldheartedly by her. Sudden guilt over his now imagined betrayal of Lynn and Danny laid its heavy hand upon him. He experienced remorse over his decision to embrace and study the teachings of The Black Lodge. And he felt renewed fear of the entire situation. But before the panic completely controlled him, Uriel latched on to a desperate hope. A hope that Eyrmysse had not, in fact, abandoned him. That she knew what she was doing. That she would protect him. And that their lust and learning would continue unabated. "I was, uh, sleeping. In my room," he finally answered, a little shakily.

"Alone?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, giving Arhyvhynne an incredulous look.

"Did anyone, per chance, see you there?"

Uriel quickly wondered if anyone checked his room while he was with Eyrmysse and found it empty. He figured he had to take a gamble. "No. At least I didn't see anyone. If someone came by, I didn't hear anything. I was pretty tired," he told them though he knew that the way he looked didn't exactly support a night of undisturbed rest.

The questioning continued in that manner for quite a while. Eyrmysse did not come to his rescue, neither did she utter a word or ask anything. Uriel did a reasonably good job of subverting their inquiries.